Experiences

Have you watched a good Tamil “mass” movie in the last 15 years? If not, here’s your chance. Go and watch “Wanted”. Directed by Prabhudeva, it has everything that we have come to expect as de rigueur in Tamil movies (and which hitherto hasn’t quite come together for Hindi movie makers): Slick direction, breathtaking cinematography, flawless editing, toe-tapping music, complex dance choreography, stunt choreography that looks almost like dance choreography in its detailing and nuances, and delightful performances all around -- in short, technical perfection. Story? Oh well, it’s like the Mahabharatha - you know where it is going, you know whose side the hero is on, you know that the villains may pull the heroine’s vastra, but her savior will always arrive in the nick of time, sometimes running faster than a speeding train, and you know the bad men are going to die. This comfortable familiarity means that you don’t have any anxiety or fear while watching the movie. You need not deal...

It was A’s birthday. 30th birthday, we were misled to believe. We were eager to admit another brother into the 30’s club—damn those pesky 20’s! L arranged for a surprise party. She’s good at organizing such things—she’s young, energetic and bored. Plans were made: dinner at TGIF and bowling/pubbing later. We decided not to go dancing—mainly because we were so regular at the one decent club that Peoria boasts that the big, burly, and scary bouncer recognizes us and chats to us about the weather instead of giving us the mean, you-are-suspect-even if proven otherwise look. L was in charge of logistics. She will bring a clueless A, F will bring his family, D will pick me up, and V will act fast and loose until the last minute. D was stuck with chauffeur duty because the poor man was working late that day. I like D—he’s 40, so that there is no generation gap yawning between us like with those irritating 20-somethings; he’s got an acerbic wit; and he can do a mean Indian-accent impr...